Braised Spring Bamboo Shoots (油焖笋)

As spring fever rushes in, spring bamboo shoots are hitting local grocery stores and wet markets across China. I grew up in China and have lived in China for three years–you can really see the seasons change at the markets! Most Northerners or bei fang ren (北方人) like to use spring bamboo for soups, stir-fries, or braised with pork–all excellent applications for fresh bamboo shoots in season. But for we Shanghainese, we tend to revert to our usual method of cooking: “red-cooked”, i.e. hong shao, 红烧 for those in the know!

One of our favorite old-world dishes from Shanghai is Braised Spring Bamboo Shoots or yóu mèn sun (油焖笋). Even though this dish is a common traditional dish (i.e., maybe your grandparents ate it more often than your parents), it’s still really popular and no less delicious! I know we say that a lot around here, but please don’t underestimate the allure of this dish! (Especially if you have tried my Braised Pork Belly.)

If you are a vegetarian or vegan and you want to know what all the fuss is about, here is your chance to find out. The cooking method and the spices for both are pretty much the same. I love them both, but if I had to choose one, I would pick braised spring bamboo shoots. Crazy, I know. But yes, I would pick spring bamboo over juicy slabs of pork belly any day. In short, this vegetarian/vegan dish will not disappoint!

If you are lucky enough to find fresh spring bamboo shoots (or fresh winter bamboo shoots during the winter months), you have no reason not to give this recipe a try. If fresh isn’t available, frozen spring bamboo is a great alternative and is what I used in this instance.

Stay away from canned bamboo shoots for this recipe, however, as they are too wet for this cooking method.

Before we begin, a note: if you’re using fresh winter bamboo shoots, it’s a good idea to blanch the bamboo first…once they are cut. You will also need to increase the simmering time when using winter bamboo.

Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes over medium heat. After 10 minutes, uncover the pan, turn up the heat to reduce the liquid, and add a couple of drops of oil before plating. It sounds hokey, but this will give the dish an attractive sheen!

One of our favorite old-world dishes from Shanghai is Braised Spring Bamboo Shoots or yóu mèn sun (油焖笋). If you're a vegan, or you just like Chinese red-cooked or hong shao dishes, then these vegetarian braised spring bamboo shoots are the ultimate dish for you!

Author: Judy

Recipe type: Vegetarian

Cuisine: Chinese

Serves: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

1 pound fresh or frozen bamboo shoots, tough outer layers removed

neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola

2 thin slices of ginger

2 teaspoons sugar (rock sugar is preferred, if you have it on hand)

2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine

1½ tablespoons light soy sauce

½ teaspoon dark soy sauce

1 cup water

Instructions

Before we begin, a note: if you’re using fresh winter bamboo shoots, it’s a good idea to blanch the bamboo first...once they are cut. You will also need to increase the simmering time when using winter bamboo.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the ginger and cook for about 30 seconds. Turn down the heat, and add the rock sugar, allowing it to dissolve completely in the oil. Now add the bamboo and turn up the heat; stir and mix everything well. Cook for a few minutes––until the edges of the bamboo start to brown slightly.

Now add the Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and water. Stir to combine. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes over medium heat. After 10 minutes, uncover the pan, turn up the heat to reduce the liquid, and add a couple of drops of oil before plating. It sounds hokey, but this will give the dish an attractive sheen!

40 Comments

Oh my goodness, this dish is so, so good! Plus the author just taught me how to braise with this recipe, and I have a delicious new vegetarian delicacy! Thank you!

For anyone in the San Francisco Bay area, Tokyo Fish Market has yellow, cone-shaped bamboo in plastic in their vegetable section. I can only imagine that Ranch 99 would also carry bamboo in various forms.

Hi Denise, are they in large chunks? Either way, it’s worth a try as long as they are not pre-cooked or pre-spiced. BTW, the (fresh) frozen bamboo shoots are very common. I was just wondering if you looked in the freezer section of your Asian grocery store?

It’s one big conical chunk. I’d picked it up randomly without any rhyme or reason. I am going back today and will look for the frozen kind. If they don’t have them (and I would be shocked if not), might just run across the Hudson and look in some of the Chinatown stores.

I think I just made this recipe with the same product you described (large yellow cone of vacuum-packed bamboo) and it was delicious!!! I think you still would want to carefully wash the bamboo, but this product in this recipe was awesome!

Hi Andrea, all the layers (light cream color portions) underneath the outer dark brown layer are edible. it’s best to peel each layer one at a time. The tough portion comes off easily and what’s left behind is edible. Please let me know if that’s clear :-)

The bad news for us, is that these aren’t imported in Greece. The good news is, that this recipe is delicious and versatile, meaning we can try it out with other veggies as well:) Fresh artichoke hearts come to mind at the moment:)
Thank you for another authentic, delicious recipe dearest Judy!
Sending you lots of hugs!

I happened to see the fresh bamboo shoots at H-mart yesterday, and remembered that you had just published this recipe, so I had to try it, and it’s so good! Thank you – I would never have recognized it or have had any idea what to do with it if I hadn’t just read this!

Darn the luck, when at the Asian market this weekend I did not find any fresh bamboo shoots. I’ll keep watching and make this as soon as the bamboo shoots are available. I’m very intrigued by this recipe and can’t wait to try it.

This is the green bamboo and cicada yixing teapot by Jiang Yong (or Jiang Rong). I read somewhere that it was a limited edition of 100 teapots made for and sold at some museum in China, but I’ve also seen copies that are not part of the original limited edition.

Hi I’m visiting Japan right now and just had fresh spring bamboo shoots that were incredibly delicious, I can understand why people rave about them now. Can you tell me how to pick good bamboo shoots at the Asian markets? What should I be looking for? Thanks.

Hi Katy, fresh spring bamboo shoots are usually sold un-shelled. Here is how I pick them:
– medium sized, not too big and not too small. large ones are too tough and small ones have no “meat”
– outer shell must look fresh, can’t be dry or discolored
– squeeze to make sure it’s not rotting inside.